I Love You
by Crystal Luna
Summary: He didn't hate her what he despised was her sweet drawl saying that she loved him. John Marie


**A/N: **Please, any mistake you read be kind to let me know. I didn't have any beta for this oneshot. I hope you like it. All fluffiness, blame it on Stevie Nicks. I was listening to her greatest hits; **Enchanted.**

**Disclaimer**: I hope that **Marvel** and **Fox** don't mind that I took **Rogue** and **Pyro **to play for a little while with them. I'll return them as soon as I finish.

**-OoO-**

**I Love You**

He really couldn't say that he hated her. It wasn't anything like it.

No; it was her and her damned sweet drawl. "Johnny, I love you."

Where did she get a notion like that? Love? That was only for the fool, the meek, the weak that hoped to get at least some crumbs. He wasn't any of those looser. No sir, not him. He was tough, a mean jerk, a hardened guy that has learnt his lesson well; he didn't believe in that word. There was no such thing called love.

"Johnny, I love you."

Girls today were such a silly and scatterbrained bunch. They all needed to hear the stupid word. For heaven's sake! What for? Why mistake love for what it was? Plain and simple lust. Yeah, lust. Now, there was a word he could entirely relate too. It compiled all the important and necessary essentials of life. A reliability, a need like every other need like eating, drinking or even going to the bathroom. Yes, the only difference being that it was much enjoyable.

"Johnny?"

"Huh?"

"I love you." How brown her eyes could get; like liquid caramel, just to annoy the heck out of him.

This couldn't keep on going any longer. He would set down his foot and tell her once and for all. If she wanted to hear back the words, then she should've chosen Bobby. His friend was very naïve and believed in all that silliness.

It was funny to hear it once or twice at the beginning of their dating. As time went on old habits began to resurface, shuddering with disgust every time she dared to say it to him. All girls must go to a secret school to learn the exact instant and how to whisper it. Because she definitely knew how to. Her full lips will curve up with this smile, all her beautiful face taking on this glow and then, when her unsuspected victim was defenseless, she would go for the attack.

"I love you, Johnny."

"Do you actually know the real meaning of what you're saying?"

He didn't give a damn if those soulful eyes glinted with sorrow. He was only trying to wake her up from a dream; he was helping her to open her eyes and see her mistakes. It was simply too much to have someone to worship you. Yes, he was doing his duty as a good friend, letting her know that it only worsened things. Why dampen good old fashioned lust with falsehood? What was wrong with feeling it? Why the need to try to disguise it? She shouldn't feel any shame at all.

Unexpectedly, her eyes turned soft. To his total irritation, she smiled a small, knowing grin.

"That's okay, John. I understand."

Narrowing his eyes, he felt suspicious. "What exactly do you understand?"

"Everything and perhaps nothing."

And then she had the preposterous audacity to kiss him quickly in his cheekbone.

What in the hell was wrong with girl nowadays? Jesus! He never took her for one of those dumb girls, with no brain. Well, he guessed he was wrong. And that really pissed him off because he thought that at last he has found a girl who shared his intelligence and smart way of viewing things.

That night, like every other night since they began dating, he escorted Rogue to her bedroom. He would tell her tonight. That nonsense had to stop. He wouldn't allow anymore foolishness. He was a down to earth guy that knew what he wanted and expected from life. It was better to break it now than to prolong it and make her suffer unnecessarily, not that he cared…

"Goodnight, John."

She entered her room and closed the door with a definite but soft thud. John just stared, feeling a little dumbfounded. He shook himself out of his surprise. She did understand. He was grateful she didn't mention the god awful word. Yep, she was a smart girl and had grasped his meaning. Thanks heaven, there still were intelligent girl.

Feeling too cheerful, he went up to the roof of the mansion to smoke. Staring at the black mantle covered of twinkling diamond, he truly attempted to feel happy. He didn't. He recognized that he was forcing the feeling. Like a revelation down from the sky, he understood why. He never got to tell her what he honestly thought of her display. He was misleading her. It was all her damn fault that he wasn't enjoying his smoking. Standing up and throwing away the cigar, he walked determined to her room. She would hear him.

The halls were dark and alone, most of the students have retired to sleep. He approached her room and entered. She was sleeping; her face looked surreal in the darkness, her striking silver strands reminding him of the soft moonlight. Staring at her he thought that maybe he shouldn't wake her and that he could wait until tomorrow.

Holy shit! What the hell was wrong with him? He would wake her and tell her now. He was acting like some damn coward. He shook her shoulder not too gently.

Confused, Rogue opened her eyes. "John… what's wrong?"

He said gruffly. "Move over."

She complied, still disoriented by sleep. He draped one arm across her waist and another underneath her head, taking advantage of the soft mahogany curtain to avoid any contact with her skin. She was warm, she always was warm.

"What are you doing here?"

He just stared at her, trying to find the right words to tell her.

"Johnny, what is it?"

"It's nothing." There he was again, acting with cowardice.

"Really, John…"

"Why don't you shut up the hell for one second, Marie? Your incessant chatter could wake up the dead."

Rogue lifted her eyebrows. She was silent. The second stretched into minutes. His eyes were locked on hers, burning… with what; she really couldn't discern. John was such an enigma to her and that was one of his traits that lured her to him, like a moth to the light to get burned. She didn't mind dying in that fashion; not at all; branded by his burn.

John looked at her; it was time to let her know how he wanted everything between them to change permanently. Taking a deep breath, he said:

"You said goodnight but you forgot to tell me you love me."

She bit her lower lip holding back a soft giggle; he sounded disgruntled enough, even slightly angry. "No, I didn't forget. I wanted you to ask me."

"Little sniveling…" He began to mutter under his breath but was stopped.

"Ah! If you say it, you won't hear what you came to hear."

He closed his mouth and waited… and waited some more. "Well?" He demanded.

This big sweet smile widened her lips. "I love you, Johnny."

He, the hardened and cold jerk let out a small sigh. Yes, thank heavens; there were still intelligent girl like her that got him twirled around her finger. Snuggling her close to his hard body, he said in what Rogue recognized as a growl. "And you better not forget to say it again."

Ah, her Johnny was anything but easy and yet… she loved him.


End file.
